This past Monday, my sister and I did the impossible…we took our babies to the movie theater. I know right? Why, oh why, would we dare attempt this? We wanted to get us and the little ones out of the house and to see how our babies would do at the movies. I wanted to share our experience with you and provide some helpful tips if you are pondering this same adventure.
We decided we would meet at the movie theater to see ‘The Grinch‘ at the earliest showing possible. That happened to be a 12:45pm showing. We both wanted to get there a little bit late to avoid sitting through the long previews. We both were very anxious and nervous about bringing our little ones to the movie theater. We didn’t want to be ‘that’ parent. We didn’t want people judging us for wanting to take our kids to the movies. Regardless of how we felt, we stood strong and decided to purchase our tickets to see the movie. Tip – most movie theaters will let you get a refund or a movie pass if you end up needing to leave the theater early because of your little one getting fussy.
My sister wanted to get some popcorn and snacks for her son at the concession stand, while I went and got us some seats. I had asked her to pick me up one of those Sparkling Dasani water bottles because I was so thirsty (this is relevant to the story). She proceeded to get both of our orders before joining Leia and I in the theater.
About 10 minutes later, my sister was carrying her son, his coat, the food, diaper bag and my water bottle as she was trying to find us in the theater. Needless to say, this was a lot to carry (especially in the dark). She ended up having to set some of the stuff on the steps and bring my nephew, to the seats with me, so she could go back and get the rest of the stuff. I felt bad that she had to juggle so much, but I was feeding Leia at the same time and couldn’t help.
The little ones were doing GREAT! 20 minutes into the movie, I wanted a sip of that delicious, cold, Dasani water. While holding Leia and the bottle in my left arm, I opened the bottle with my right hand. Instantly, I regreted that decision. To my surprise, my sister had dropped the bottle on the floor as she was juggling all of her belongings to our seats. I didn’t know this. Berry flavored water spewed everywhere. My poor daughter was drenched. At the very moment that water hit her precious face, she screamed bloody murder. I quickly jumped into action to try and calm her as fast as I could. Luckily, I was able to get her to calm down in just a few minutes, but I felt horrible for her. She was soaked, I was soaked, her blanket was soaked, it was not a fun picture (especially trying to clean up while holding the wet baby).
My nephew was so tired, so he was able to fall asleep about half way through the movie. He stayed asleep for the rest of the movie – a huge win for his mommy. While I thought Leia would have fallen asleep pretty quickly herself, she decided she wanted to stay awake for the entire movie. It was okay though, she actually seemed to really enjoy the colors, the music and movie overall. She is still too young to understand a lot about movies, but she can still enjoy the motion, colors, music, etc… I ended up having to hold her the entire time and let her stand up on me for a lot of the movie. A few times here and there she made a noises like she was frustrated and then other times like she was excited. Nothing too disturbing though (score)!
Overall, we both ended up having a really good time and the kids did pretty good. With some careful planning, you too can enjoy going to the movies with your little ones. For context, my nephew is about 20 months old and Leia is about 4 months old. As for the adults, both my sister and I enjoyed the movie. I thought it was better than the Jim Carrey version, but my sister still prefers the Jim Carrey one. They are both great versions of the original show. The music was ultimately my favorite part of this movie. You guys should go check it out this holiday season (don’t forget the kiddos).
Some tips to get you through the movie-going experience with little ones:
- Try to go to one of the earliest showings possible (least crowded and there is usually always other kids in there)
- Avoid opening weekend (going the following weeks of an opening, generally means less people in attendance)
- Try to avoid the previews by showing up a little later (less time the babies need to sit in the theater)
- Shoot for a ‘kid friendly’ movie (this has multiple benefits – other kids/parents in theater, usually shorter length movies, decibels are typically lower for kids ears, etc…)
- Plan to feed your kid right before heading to the movies or during the beginning of the movie (this should help your kid feel full and might help them fall asleep more easily)
- Bring blankets (this helps keep them feel more comfortable since theaters typically are a little chilly)
- Ask the person at the ticket counter if you can get a refund or movie pass if you need to leave early (this just gives you a little peace of mind)
- Don’t drop soda or soda water on the floor and then open it too soon 😉
I would like to know, have you braved taking your little one to the movies? How did it go? What were their ages? Do you have any other tips you would like to add?